


Better Late Than Never

by KleeHass



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne is a good friend, Best Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gilbert is a good dad, Happy Ending, Modern AU, Shirbert, but we love them, smut but only a little, they're idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:55:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26399770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KleeHass/pseuds/KleeHass
Summary: Gilbert and Anne have been best friends since they were 13. Supporting each other through all of life's ups and downs. And everything is fine until Anne realizes she wants more...
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 29
Kudos: 185





	1. Chapter 1

Anne sat on a sofa outside of the fitting rooms, scrolling through her phone and trying to ignore the voice in her head that told her she needed to run. To get up, make a beeline for the door and maybe save what semblance of sanity and pride she still had. But she didn’t. She stayed put. Because she was a good friend. His best friend. That’s why it was her he had asked to help him find an outfit for tonight. For his first date since ex-girlfriend bailed, leaving him with a collicky 4-month old right in the middle of his residency program.

He and Christine (or The Bitch as she and Gilbert secretly called her) hadn’t really been that serious, the pregnancy the result of a drunken mistake that they tried to turn into a relationship for the sake of their child. It of course hadn’t worked and when Christine left Anne hadn’t hesitated to step up. It’s what he would have done had the roles been reversed. She dove in and spent the last five years helping him raise his daughter. Taking her to doctor’s appointments and play dates and dance lessons and school. She never thought twice about it. Taking care of each other was what they did. From the moment in middle school when he punched Billy Andrews in the face, defending her without even knowing her name, they had been inseparable. 

He taught her how to ride a bike, something she never learned in foster care. They taught each other how to dance. He helped her study for her math classes knowing it was her weakest subject. She cooked for him and his dad when his dad was too sick to get out of bed. He moved into Green Gables when his dad died halfway through his senior year so he wouldn’t have to finish at a new school in Toronto where his brother lived. She helped him get through his grief and pushed him to not give up on his dreams of becoming a doctor. He held her when she cried all night after finding out her college boyfriend had cheated on her. She was the first person he called when he found out he got accepted into Harvard Medical School and he was right there to cheer her on when she received her Ph.D.

They shared everything and knew each other better than anyone. They pushed each other to be better, they supported each other through all of their ups and downs, they protected each other no matter what. When Christine had left him and Lucy behind, leaving nothing but a note and a legal document giving up all of her maternal rights Anne was right there for them. Becoming a surrogate mother to Lucy hadn’t even been a conscious decision - it just was. She loved the little girl like she was her own. And she was there for him without question and she’d never had cause to regret it. 

Until now. 

She’d woken up one morning eight months ago to a text from him. All it was was a picture of him and Lucy smiling into the camera, their matching hazel eyes crinkled up with laughter and it simply read “good morning, Anne, we love you!”. And it hit her like a freight train. She knew in that moment that she wanted him as more than her best friend. That she didn’t just love him, that she was in love with him. Completely, hopelessly, madly in love with him. That maybe she always had been. 

She spent the next two days mulling it over constantly with Cole and Diana, trying to sort through it all and make sense of suddenly seeing her best friend in a completely different light. They told her over and over she should be honest with him but she kept putting it off, insisting it just wasn’t the right time. 

He was just getting settled into his new role as an oncologist at Toronto General and she knew he was excited to finally have some semblance of normality and routine for himself and for Lucy. She figured he’d tell her when he was ready to start dating again and then she’d finally tell him how she really felt and hoped he felt the same and that if he didn’t it wouldn’t ruin their friendship. 

But he hadn’t told her. 

Instead he texted her yesterday panicking because he’d asked out a random woman in a coffee shop around the corner from the hospital. Said he didn’t even think before asking her to dinner. She’d mistakenly picked up his coffee and he’d chased her into the parking lot with hers and they’d ended up chatting for several minutes when he blurted out the invitation. 

Now Anne sank further into the sofa, listening to him drone on about how beautiful the woman was. Tall and blonde, with a posh British accent. Anne rolled her eyes hard at that and was grateful he couldn’t see her from inside the fitting room. She made a noise every now and then to let him know she was still there but didn’t engage in the conversation, not that he seemed to notice. Suddenly the fitting room door opened and she was forced to look up from her phone. 

“What do you think?” He asked, holding up the tie around his neck and eyeing it critically. “I’m not sure this is the right color for this shirt.” 

She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again. “You’re right. It doesn’t work.” He frowned down at the tie. “I don’t understand why you have to get this dressed up anyway. It’s just dinner.” 

He looked up at her. “You didn’t see how she was dressed, she’s really elegant. Seriously, Anne. This is not the type of woman I can just take to The Cheesecake Factory. I have to take her somewhere really nice and so I have to dress the part.” His eyes turned pleading. “Please help me?” 

She swallowed the lump in her throat and heaved herself off the sofa. “Fine. But don’t ever bash The Cheesecake Factory again, their small plates are amazing.” She heard him chuckle as she headed back to the showroom to inspect the tie selection. She was throwing a few options over her arm when her cell phone went off. She pulled it out of her back pocket and sighed at the screen. 

[Diana] Seriously. Get out of there. Don’t do this to yourself.

She slid it back into her pocket and made her way back to the fitting rooms, knocking on the door and handing him the stack of ties when he opened it. “You are the absolute best and I love you.” His grin was so big she couldn’t help but smile back, shaking her head at him. He left the door open and she went back to sit on the sofa, arms crossed, watching him switch out the ties. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with watching Lucy tonight?” He asked as he worked on the knot. “She can always stay at Bash and Mary’s.” 

“Of course I’m okay with watching Lucy.” She said, her tone slightly sharper than she meant for it to be and she sucked in a breath, hoping he didn’t notice. 

He didn’t, too consumed with his task. “Alright, thanks. Maybe you can help her with her ABC art project? She’s way more patient when you help her with that stuff.” He turned and grinned at her. “You must be a better teacher than me.” 

This time she did roll her eyes at him. “Yes, I would hope so. Although teaching kindergarteners is a bit different from teaching college students.” She picked at her cuticle. “How late do you think you’ll be?” She asked casually. 

“Not too late. Lucy’s ballet class was bumped back to 8am tomorrow so I don’t want to be out late. Too old for that.” He chuckled but she didn’t respond, just continued to pick at her cuticle. “Okay, how is this one?” She looked up and took a deep breath, pretending to study him but really just trying to make sure when she did reply that her voice was steady. 

“It’s good.” She said. It was more than good. The combination of the full suit and tie made him look fucking hot. She hadn’t seen him in anything like that since he was the best man at Moody and Ruby’s wedding three years before. 

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “Well don’t fall all over yourself with the compliments, Anne.” He turned back and eyed himself critically in the mirror. “Yeah. I think it works.” He shut the door to change back into his scrubs and she took another deep breath and stood up. 

“I’m going to head out, Gil. I want to get some grading done before I come over later.” 

“Are you sure? I was going to buy you lunch to say thanks.” He said, voice slightly muffled behind the door. 

“Yeah.” Suddenly she was desperate to get out of there. “I’ll see you at 6.” She grabbed her purse and rushed out before he could say anything else. 

Once in her car down the block she pulled her phone out and dialed Diana. 

“You okay?” Came her bosom friend’s voice through the car speaker. 

“Yes. No. I don’t know. Not really.” Anne mumbled, head back against the headrest. 

“Want to come over?”

“Yes. Definitely. I’ll be there in like 10 minutes.” She hung up and wiped away the tears from her eyes before starting her car. 

**********************************

Anne curled up in the armchair in Gilbert’s living room, staring at the wall and contemplating the conversation she had with Diana earlier. 

“You should just tell him.” Diana had said as if it were the easiest thing in the world. “He doesn’t know how you feel, Anne. I’d be shocked if he didn’t feel the same way.” 

“You didn’t hear him talking about this woman, Di. Like the moon shines out of her ass or something.” Anne rolled her eyes. “Besides, I’m just not willing to risk 17 years of friendship over it.” 

“You telling Gilbert you’re in love with him would not mean your friendship would be over. He’d never let that happen.” 

“No but if he doesn’t feel the same way then things will get super awkward and eventually we’d just drift apart. I’m not sure if I can handle that, especially when that would mean not being as big a presence in Lucy’s life too.” 

“If he ends up marrying some other woman that’s going to happen anyway, Anne. And you deserve to be happy. Seriously, you really need to tell him. I’d put a lot of money down that he feels the same way.” 

The front door opening snapped Anne out of her thoughts and she stood up from the chair as Gilbert walked into the living room. 

“Hey.” He smiled at her. “Lucy go to sleep okay?” 

“Yeah.” She swallowed. “Uhm, how was it?” 

His smile widened. “Great. So great. She’s super smart and really nice. And she’s got that dry British sense of humor.” He pulled his suit jacket off and loosened his tie as he spoke. “I could definitely see this going somewhere.” 

“Really?” Anne squeaked and cleared her throat. “Seems fast. I mean, this is the first person you’ve even gone on a date with since The Bitch.” 

“I know. It does seem crazy but I really like her, Anne.” He sat down heavily on the sofa.

“Oh.” Anne clenched her teeth and willed the pain in her chest to go away. “That’s great. Well, I’m really tired. I’m going to head out.” She grabbed her coat, shrugging it on. 

He nodded. “Alright. You want to have lunch with me and Lucy tomorrow?” 

She grabbed her purse and started walking towards the front door. “Sorry, I have plans with Cole. I’ll text you okay?” 

“Okay.” He replied and she gave him a little wave, hurrying out the front door. She sat in her car for several minutes taking in deep, steadying breaths before heading home.


	2. Chapter 2

Anne slipped her shoes off and poured a glass of wine before heading to her couch, turning on the tv and flipping through Netflix. Her phone beeped and she picked it up, smiling as she opened the picture of Lucy and Delly sitting at Bash and Mary’s kitchen table surrounded by craft supplies. 

[Anne] Glitter? Who’s bright idea was that?  
[Mary] Delly’s and apparently my husband can’t say no to her...who knew?  
[Anne] HA! You’re going to be cleaning that up for years  
[Mary] Correction - Bash will be cleaning it up for years  
[Anne] Haha touche   
[Mary] Lunch Tuesday?  
[Anne] Can we make it Thursday? Faculty meeting Tuesday afternoon  
[Mary] Sure. See you then <3  
[Anne] <3

She set her phone back down and picked out a movie, settling in to her couch to watch it. Robert DeNiro was just telling Claire Danes that he knew what she was when her phone rang. She paused the movie and grabbed it, smiling at the name on the screen. 

“Hey Cole.” 

“Anne! What are you doing?” 

“I’m at home, watching Stardust.” She replied, taking a sip of wine. 

“It’s Friday night! You’re not 50 years old yet, come out with me!” She could hear loud music in the background and rolled her eyes. 

“No thanks. I’m already in my pjs”

He sighed. “Fine. Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah, just tired. It was a long week.” 

He paused. “Gilbert still seeing that chick?” 

“I don’t think so. He hasn’t mentioned her the last couple of times we talked. I was just over there the other day for our weekly pizza night and he didn’t say a word so I guess it fizzled out?” 

“Good! So now is your chance! Get over there!” 

She rolled her eyes. “No, Cole, it’s not the right time.” 

“You keep saying that but while you’re waiting for the right time, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, life is passing you by.” He replied and she snorted. 

“Okay, Oprah.” 

He sighed. “Fine, don’t listen to me. Want to go to the Farmer’s Market with me tomorrow morning? We’d have to get there early for the fresh bread.” 

“Sure. I have to drop off Lucy’s ballet shoes at Gilbert’s first but I’ll meet you there at like 8?”

“Sounds good. Love you!”

“Love you too, be careful!” She yelled into the phone as he hung up. She laughed and shook her head, hitting play on the movie and pouring another glass of wine. 

**********************************

Anne let herself into Gilbert’s house and at first she was surprised at how quiet it was but then remembered Lucy had spent the night at Bash and Mary’s the night before. Gilbert must be taking advantage and sleeping in, she mused. She walked quietly into the kitchen and set the shoes down, pulling a notepad to her to leave him a note. She was just about finished when she suddenly heard female moaning coming from the hallway. She froze and her eyes fell on the Prada clutch she hadn’t noticed before sitting on the hall table. 

The moans grew louder, accompanied by the unmistakable noise of a bed hitting a wall rhythmically. She shook herself out of her stupor and grabbed the notepad, shoving it in her purse before quietly letting herself out of the house. She sat in her car for a few minutes, taking deep breaths and trying not to cry but it was useless. The tears started coming and there was nothing she could do to stop them. 

By the time she got to the Farmer’s Market she’d managed to compose herself but Cole wasn’t fooled, taking in her red eyes and puffy nose. 

“What happened?” He led her to a bench and put his arm around her. 

“I guess Gilbert is still seeing Winnie. Or someone anyway.” She sighed at his confused expression. “I let myself in to leave Lucy’s shoes and I heard you know, sex noises, coming from the bedroom.” 

“Really?” Cole sat back thoughtfully. “Maybe he was watching porn?” 

Anne snorted. “It wasn’t porn, Cole. Besides there was a woman’s purse on the table.” 

“Oh.” He sighed as she started to cry again and pulled her closer, making soothing sounds. 

“I’m fine. I want him to be happy. It’s just...I don’t know...I guess I thought I’d have time? That it’d be me he’d be happy with.” 

“I know.” They sat there for a long time, his hand rubbing her shoulders. “You want some coffee?” He asked when she seemed to compose herself again. 

“Sure.” She smiled sadly at him and he led her to the nearest coffee stall. 

“You know,” Cole started as they walked through the stalls, “I have a friend I’ve been dying to set you up with.” 

She made a face. “A blind date, Cole?” 

“Don’t knock it till you try it, Shirley.” 

She swallowed and didn’t answer right away, pretending to be enthralled with an array of fresh honey. “Okay.” She finally said. 

“Yeah?” He looked surprised but excited. 

“I guess. I mean, who is he? What’s he like?” 

“His name is James. You know my friend Stella? She runs the gallery where I exhibit a lot of my stuff?” At Anne’s nod he continued. “James is her brother. Super nice guy, I’ve gotten to know him at various parties. He’s an English teacher, high school.” 

She should have known Cole wouldn’t try to set her up with some random person that she’d have nothing in common with. “Okay. Give me his contact info, when I’m ready I’ll reach out.” 

He clapped his hands. “Excellent!” He sounded so excited she chuckled despite how heavy her heart was feeling. 

******************************

“Hey!” Gilbert held the door open for Anne as she walked in with a pizza. He grabbed it from her so she could take her purse and shoes off. “Lucy! Anne is here!” He yelled to the back of the house and a second later they shared a smile as tiny feet could be heard running through the house. Anne bent down to catch the tiny curly haired beauty. 

“Hiya, sweetie.” Anne kissed her cheek. “How was school today?” 

“Good! We drew our families. Want to see mine?” At Anne’s nod the little girl took off down the hallway. 

Anne followed Gilbert into the kitchen and started grabbing plates while he poured her a glass of wine. “You doing okay? Haven’t heard much from you in the last few days.” He handed her the glass and leaned against the counter. 

“Yeah.” She mumbled as she dished out the pizza. Before he could say anything else Lucy was back and Anne was kneeling on the floor examining the artwork. 

“That’s you and me and Daddy.” Lucy said proudly and Anne felt her heart squeeze painfully. 

“It’s beautiful, Lucy Bear.” She hugged her tightly before standing up. “You want cheese or pepperoni?” 

“Mmmm pepperoni!” She yelled and Gilbert gave her a pointed look. “Please!” She added a little quieter, grinning at Anne. 

“Pepperoni it is.” Anne smiled and soon the three of them were settled at the table, Lucy chattering on about her day and her new friend Sophie. 

Later Gilbert came back into the living room after putting Lucy to bed and was surprised to see Anne gathering her things to leave. “You don’t want to stay? We could watch a movie or something.” 

“No I’m going to head home, I’m pretty tired.” She hesitated. “Gil, I feel weird not telling you this so I’m just going to.” He raised his eyebrows expectantly. “I stopped by the other morning to drop off Lucy’s shoes and I -” She cleared her throat. “I heard you in the bedroom with, I guess Winnie?” 

“Oh.” He sat down on the couch. “Yeah, it was Winnie.” 

“Right. I didn’t think you were still seeing her.” She fiddled with her car keys. 

“Yeah.” He laughed awkwardly. “Not sure why I didn’t tell you. But I’m sorry you had to hear uh...that. I bet that was weird.” 

“I mean you don’t need to apologize, I’m the one who barged into your house.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Anne, we’ve been barging into each other’s houses since we were 13.”

“Still.” She set her copy of his house key on the coffee table and he looked up at her surprised. “If you’re starting a serious relationship I don’t think I should have this anymore.” 

“Anne.” He shook his head. “That’s ridiculous. I mean, as much as you come and go with Lucy it doesn’t even make sense for you not to have one not to mention I just don’t want you to not have one.” 

“Actually, since you brought it up.” She bit her lip nervously. “I think maybe I should take a step back a bit from all of this.” She gestured vaguely with her hands. 

“A step back from what?” He asked, confused. 

“You know, you and Lucy.” He narrowed his eyes and she continued on quickly. “I just mean, you know the last five years you needed me to help and I was more than happy to and you know I love her more than anything in the world but you don’t need my help as much now that your hours are steadier.” She took a deep breath. “And I think I’ve kind of put my own life on hold and I think it’s time to get back to it.” 

He stared at her. “So what, we’re just not going to see you anymore?” 

“No!” She shook her head, staring at the keys in her hand. “Of course you will. I still want to do our weekly pizza nights. And I’ll still pick her up from school on Fridays and take her to Bash and Mary’s. But just, you know. Doctor appointments and dance practices and birthday parties...I think it’s best I not do any of those things anymore.” She finished lamely and raised her eyes to meet his, catching her breath at the hurt in them. 

“I didn’t realize we had been inconveniencing you so much.” He said quietly. 

“You haven’t!” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “That’s not what I mean at all. I just...look, Gilbert. It sounds like things with Winnie are getting serious.” He opened his mouth to say something but she held up her hand. “It was bound to happen and I’m - I’m happy for you.” She swallowed hard. “But no matter how nice she is no woman would be okay with things going on the way they’ve been so this is just me changing it before it gets to that point. It just saves everyone pain.” 

He was quiet for a minute before he shook his head and stood up. “Well it sounds like you have your mind pretty much made up.” He walked to the front door and opened it. “I guess I’ll see you next week then?” 

She stared at him for a minute but he didn’t meet her eyes. Finally she sighed and walked to the door. She stopped in the doorway and put her hand on his arm. “I’m still always here for you, Gil. You and Lucy. You know that.” 

“Sure.” He said tersely and looked past her. 

She sighed and walked out, flinching at the sound of the door closing behind her harder than it needed to be. She got in her car and put her forehead on the steering wheel, clenching her jaw to fight back the tears. She picked up her phone and typed out a text. 

[Anne] I did it...I told him  
[Diana] Good  
[Cole] How did he take it?  
[Anne] Not good. It feels like I just broke up with my best friend  
[Diana] Give him a couple of days and he’ll see that you are doing the right thing  
[Anne] Idk he’s pretty angry. I didn’t mean for it to come across like this but I think he took it like I resent him for taking up so much of my life the last few years. Like I resent Lucy or something  
[Cole] That’s ridiculous. If that’s how he took it then he wasn’t listening to you, Anne. No one would even begin to think you resent Lucy  
[Diana] Cole’s right  
[Anne] I guess. Anyway, I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow. Love you  
[Diana] Love you  
[Cole] <3

It was a couple of days before Anne heard from Gilbert. She took a deep breath before opening the text stream. 

[Gil] I’m sorry I reacted that way the other night. I guess it just took me by surprise. You’re right, you deserve to have your own life.   
[Anne] Thanks, Gil. I really didn’t mean to hurt you or imply I resented helping you. I never, ever have.   
[Gil] I know  
[Anne] I was thinking of taking Lucy to the library after school today before I take her to Bash and Mary’s  
[Gil] Actually you don’t have to pick her up today, I will. We’re having an early dinner with Winnie, I think it’s time they meet. 

Anne’s breath left her body and she got up quickly to close the door to her office. She typed out several responses before settling on one. 

[Anne] Okay. Have a good weekend

She set her phone down and laid her forehead on her arms, crying quietly.


	3. Chapter 3

“So how have things been with him?” Diana asked as she dipped a chip in guacamole.

Anne sighed. “Honestly I haven’t seen him much. We’ve texted but pretty much only about Lucy. He made excuses the first couple of weeks we were supposed to have our pizza night and since then I haven’t brought it up.” She took a long sip of her margarita. “I’m sure it’s just because things are getting serious with Winnie.” 

Cole and Diana exchanged a look that Anne chose to ignore. “It’s fine. Space is basically what I asked for right?” She gave a laugh that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “And I’m still picking Lucy up on Fridays. She’s been a bit more clingy when I do see her so I think she’s noticed I’m not around as much.” She sat back with a sigh. 

“And how are you?” Diana asked, softly. 

“Fine. I’m fine.” She gave them a bright smile. “I’ve decided it’s my turn to be happy. So I’m ready to start moving on. In fact, Cole, I’m going to call your friend James.” 

“Yeah?” He grinned. “Good. I really think you’ll like him.” 

“Well if he murders me I’m coming back to haunt you.” She said and her friends laughed. Diana changed the subject to a story about her son’s preschool teacher and Anne attempted to put Gilbert out of her mind. 

****************************

Gilbert settled into his seat and picked up the menu, pleased to see poutine in the list of appetizers. “I’m surprised a place like this has poutine. Do you want to share a plate?” He asked and glanced up at Winnie who shook her head. 

“No thanks, I’m not a fan.” 

“Oh. Really?” He didn’t know why he was surprised. 

“It’s just all fat and grease.” She replied, scanning the menu. 

He shrugged. “Yeah, that’s what makes it so good.” He chuckled. “Anne and I used to get it everywhere we went. It’s how we measured how good a restaurant was.” 

She nodded but didn’t reply and he went back to reading the menu. He decided to order it anyway and once the server had left with their order he sat back and took a sip of his beer. 

“So how was your week?” He asked her and listened as she went into a long story about a client of hers who was taking up all her time on a petty lawsuit. His eyes scanned the room and he caught a familiar flash of red across the restaurant. His eyes focused over Winnie’s shoulder as he watched Anne follow the hostess to a table where a man stood as she approached. He kissed her cheek and she gave him a radiant smile as he held out her chair for her. Gilbert felt his stomach drop when she reached across to lace her fingers with her companion’s. It wasn’t like he didn’t know Anne dated, she’d had a couple of serious boyfriends over the years. But somehow this seemed different and he didn’t know why. Maybe because he didn’t know about it.

“Gilbert?” Winnie’s voice snapped his attention back to her. “Are you listening?” 

“Sorry. Yes.” He cleared his throat. “It was a long day. What were you saying?” 

She sighed and repeated the last thing she said about a dinner party her boss invited her to the following weekend. “I asked if you’d be free to join me?” 

“Oh. Uh.” He tried to concentrate, trying to remember what his schedule was like the following weekend but his eyes kept drifting over to Anne and her date. He gripped his glass of beer hard as the man brought Anne’s hand up and kissed her knuckles. “I’d have to check my schedule.” 

“What are you looking at?” She finally turned around and followed his gaze across the restaurant. “Do you know them?”

“Uh yeah.” He cleared his throat. “That’s Anne. Not sure who the guy is.”

She turned around and narrowed her eyes slightly. “Your friend Anne? That you’re always talking about?” 

He gave an uncomfortable laugh. “I don’t talk about her that much.” 

“Okay.” Winnie took a sip of wine and watched him over the rim of her glass as his eyes drifted back over her shoulder. “Are you not going to go say hi?” 

“Oh.” He paused and thanked their server as she set their food down. “No. I don’t want to interrupt.” 

“Alright.” She took a bite of her salad. “I am looking forward to meeting her though.”

“Right. Well, we could stop by before we leave I suppose.” He said and she nodded. 

They talked as they ate but Winnie noticed how often Gilbert’s eyes drifted over her shoulder. After he paid the check she made a beeline for the red-head, Gilbert trailing behind her. 

“Hi there!” She greeted them as she approached. They both looked up at her in surprise. “You’re Anne right?”

Anne looked past her, eyes landing on Gilbert who gave her a small smile. She looked back at the blonde in realization. “Yes. You must be Winnie?” 

“Guilty!” Winnie let out a laugh. 

Gilbert finally stepped up beside her. “Hi, Anne.” 

“Hi, Gil.” She gestured to her date. “This is James.” 

James half stood to shake Gilbert’s hand and then Winnie’s. “Nice to meet you guys. Did you enjoy your dinner?” James asked. 

“Oh yes, the food here is always delicious.” Winnie replied. 

“This is our first time but we split the poutine for an appetizer and it was fantastic.” James said, and if his use of the words ‘our’ and ‘we’ made Gilbert’s stomach churn the smile the man gave Anne made him clench his jaw tightly. It was the kind of smile that told him the guy was very comfortable with her. James and Winnie chatted about the food for a minute while Gilbert and Anne stared at each other. 

Finally Gilbert dragged his eyes away from hers and cleared his throat. “Well, we’ll let you get back to your dinner.” Gilbert said, pointedly and Winnie nodded. 

“It was really good to meet you, Anne. You’re by far the favorite topic in the Blythe household, by both father and daughter.” Winnie gave a light laugh and Gilbert shifted uncomfortably next to her as Anne’s eyes met his again. 

She cleared her throat, never breaking eye contact with him. “Well, Lucy is a favorite topic of mine too.” She moved her eyes to Winnie. “It was nice to finally meet you as well. Enjoy your evening.” She glanced at Gilbert. “Bye, Gil.” 

“Bye, Anne.” He nodded to James and quickly steered Winnie out of the restaurant. 

He let her do most of the talking on the drive back to her place. Winnie poured them each a glass of wine and they settled into the sofa. “You’ve been quiet tonight.” She said, watching him as she took a sip from her glass. 

“Sorry.” He shook his head and smiled at her. “Like I said, long day. Long week, really.” 

She nodded and launched into a story of a pro bono case she was working, the defendant having been unfairly arrested during a peaceful protest. Gilbert suddenly gave a snort of laughter and she stopped mid-sentence to look at him as if he’d grown two heads. 

“Sorry.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I just remembered this time in high school Anne and I got in huge trouble for skipping school to go to a protest in the province capital. We thought we’d gotten away with it until we got home and my dad and Anne’s mom were standing on the porch, mad as hell.” He laughed, remembering the look on Anne’s face. Nervous but defiant, fierce in her belief that they’d done the right thing. 

He took another sip of wine and realized Winnie hadn’t proceeded with her story, he glanced up at her and the smile faded from his face. She was staring at him, head cocked to one side and a thoughtful look on her face. 

“What?” He asked, shifted uncomfortably. 

“You’re in love with her aren’t you?” She asked, matter-of-factly.

“What?” His eyebrows flew up. “Who?” 

She rolled her eyes. “You know who. Anne. You talk about her all the time. At first I thought it was endearing, you still being best friends with your childhood best friend. I thought it was sweet she was such a big part of Lucy’s life.” She paused. “But then the way you watched her tonight and the sheer jealousy on your face when you looked at her date. You’re in love with her.” 

He opened his mouth to deny it but the words didn’t come out. He looked at her, eyes wide and she had to laugh. 

“You didn’t even know, did you.” She said it as a statement. 

He was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke. “I - I don’t know what to say, Winnie.” 

She gave him a sad smile. “It’s okay, Gilbert. She seems great, really. You should probably figure it out, before she gets away though.” She added gently. 

He gave a slow nod, still looking bewildered. She took a sip of wine and watched his face as he processed his emotions. Finally he looked over at her. “I do care about you, Winnie. I think you’re fantastic, you know that right?” 

She chuckled. “I do. And you’re right, I am. Someone will be lucky to have me.” She touched his shoulder. “And Anne will be lucky to have you.” 

He swallowed hard. “I guess I should go.” She stood up with him and walked him to the door, opening it for him. 

He paused and leaned in to give her a hug. “Thanks, Winnie.” 

“Of course, Gilbert. Good luck.” She gave him a small smile and closed the door. 

He started driving and it wasn’t until he was in her neighborhood that he even realized what he was doing. He drove up to her house, sighing heavily when he saw it was dark. He swallowed the bile that rose up when he realized she was probably still out with James. He backed out of her drive and headed to the next place he could think of. 

“Gilbert?” Mary opened the door. “What on earth? I thought you had a date with Winnie? Lucy and Delly are already in bed.” 

“I know.” Gilbert sighed as he followed her into the house. “I’m just going to go kiss her goodnight.” He said and she nodded. 

He tiptoed into Delly’s room and went to his neice’s bed first, bending down to kiss her head before walking over to Lucy’s. He knelt down and stared at her for a long minute as he stroked her hair back. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and her eyes fluttered open. 

“Hi Daddy.” She whispered sleepily and he smiled. 

“Hi sweetie.” He whispered back. 

“Is Anne here too?” She asked and his heart squeezed. 

“No Lucy Bear, just me.”

“She’s coming to my birthday party right?” She asked. 

“Of course she is, Luce. She wouldn’t miss it for the world.” 

“Okay. I miss her.” She said as her eyes fluttered closed. 

He swallowed hard and pressed his lips to her cheek. “I know, baby. I miss her too.” He said quietly but she’d already fallen back to sleep. He left the room quietly and headed back downstairs, throwing himself heavily on the couch, ignoring the look Bash was giving him from the other end. 

Mary came in from the kitchen and handed him a beer before sitting down beside him and leaning back against her husband. “What’s going on, Gil? You and Winnie break up?” 

He gave a humorless laugh, peeling the label on his bottle. “Yeah. We broke up.” They were quiet, waiting for him to elaborate. Finally he looked up at them with a bewildered look. “I think I’m in love with Anne.” 

They were silent for a minute before Bash burst out laughing and Mary swatted his leg to shush him. Gilbert glared at his brother. “Why is that funny?” 

Bash snorted and Mary gave him a look before turning back to Gilbert. “It’s not funny, Gilbert. It’s just not surprising. We’ve known for a long time.” 

His eyebrows flew up. “Seriously?” 

Bash rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot, Blythe. I love you. But you’re an idiot.” 

Gilbert sighed and took a long sip of beer. “Well if you’re so wise maybe you can tell me what to do about this mess I’m in with her.” 

Bash and Mary exchanged a look. They knew that something had been different between Anne and Gilbert the last few months but Mary had convinced Bash not to pry, to let them figure it out on their own. 

“What exactly is the mess?” Mary asked. 

He threw his hands up in the air. “I don’t really even know. A few months ago she gave me this speech about how it was time for her to have her own life and I didn’t really take it well and I admit I’ve been kind of petty and resentful. It just seemed like she was saying I’ve been inconveniencing her. Since then we haven’t really talked much. Or really even seen each other really. Probably my fault.” He took a sip of beer and stared at the ceiling. 

“What brought her speech on, do you think?” Mary prodded. 

He shook his head. “I don’t know. One minute she’s telling me she heard me and Winnie in the bedroom and the next minute she’s telling me if things are getting serious with Winnie then she should take a step back.” 

He didn’t see the look Mary and Bash exchanged. 

“You should talk to her, brother.” Bash said. “Tell her how you feel.” 

He sighed. “I really don’t want to ruin our friendship more than I already have.” 

“I don’t know Anne as well as you do but I know her pretty well.” Mary paused. “And if I had to guess I’d say she feels the same way about you.” 

Gilbert looked at her sharply. “Then why the speech? Why would she want to be in our lives less if that’s the case?” 

Bash snorted and Gilbert gave him a dirty look. “What?” He asked, irritated. 

Mary reached over and put her hand on Gilbert’s shoulder. “I think maybe she was protecting herself, Gil.” 

Bash and Mary watched as realization dawned on him. The look on Anne’s face when she told him she’d heard him and Winnie. How abrupt she’d been any time he brought up Winnie’s name. Her sarcastic tone when she’d helped him pick out an outfit for his first date. 

“You think?” He practically whispered it and glanced at his family who both nodded. 

He took another sip of beer. “But she’s with this James guy now. I didn’t even know she was seeing anyone.” He sighed. “They looked pretty cozy.” 

“Well then you should do it before it’s too late.” Mary said, standing up and glancing at Bash who stood up with her. “We’re going to bed. Guest room is yours if you want it.” 

Gilbert nodded and bid them goodnight. He sat on the couch for a long time, staring up at the ceiling and contemplating this newfound information.


	4. Chapter 4

Gilbert tapped his fingers nervously on his cup as he waited for her to arrive. Every time the cafe doors opened he looked up with both hope and trepidation only to be met with disappointment and relief when it wasn’t her. He glanced at his phone, surprised to see she was 10 minutes late. 

Suddenly the door opened and she walked in, glancing around before her eyes landed on his and she made her way to him. He sucked in a breath. She looked absolutely amazing in a simple emerald green wrap dress that hit just above her knees and accentuated every curve. Curves he’d always been aware of but was suddenly viewing them in a very different light. 

He stood up as she got closer and leaned in to hug her, breathing in her lavender shampoo. “Sorry I’m late.” She said as she sat and smiled at him. “We had a department luncheon thing that went longer than I thought it would.” 

“No worries.” He gestured to the cup in front of her. “I got you a peppermint hot chocolate.” He swallowed at the radiant smile she gave him. 

“Perfect.” She took a sip. “So what’s up?” 

“Oh nothing, I just...it’s been awhile since we did this.” He shifted. “I know that’s mostly my fault. I know I’ve been weird.” 

“It’s okay.” She bit her lower lip and he caught himself staring at it. “Gil?” She said after a minute and he shook his head. 

“Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “So, James?” 

She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, he’s great. Teaches English at Maplewood High School.” 

He took a deep breath. “You guys serious or…?” 

She shrugged. “I’m not really sure yet but I think it’s heading in that direction. He’s nice and he’s charming. He makes me feel...wanted, I guess.” 

He cleared his throat and nodded, not saying anything. 

“Winnie seemed really nice.” She took another sip of hot chocolate, eyeing him over her cup. 

He scratched the back of his neck and her eyes narrowed slightly, recognizing the nervousness in the move. “Yeah. She is nice. We uh - we broke up though.” 

“Oh.” She looked surprised. “Sorry. You okay?” 

“Oh, yeah. It’s fine.” He took a sip of his coffee.

“Okay. What happened?” 

He choked a bit and put the coffee down, clearing his throat. “Ah. She made me realize something I didn’t know or hadn’t seen I guess.” 

She raised her eyebrows but when he didn’t elaborate she sighed. “Are we playing twenty questions here, Gil?” 

He sighed. “Sorry. I just...I don’t really know how to do this.” 

“Do what?” 

He took a deep breath and finally looked up into her eyes, his stomach doing a flip as he gazed into the blue depths. “I - she - uh...she made me realize I’m in love with you.” He rushed out the words so fast it took her a second to decipher them. 

She sat back in her seat and stared at him. “What?” She asked dumbly. 

He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry I know it’s like coming out of left field and God we’ve been friends for so long I don’t know how I didn’t see it but I think maybe I’ve always been in love with you but didn’t really recognize it for what it was and maybe even subconsciously was scared to see it because I didn’t want to lose you in case you didn’t feel the same way although Bash and Mary seem convinced that you do feel the same way which is the only reason I got the courage to do this today and you’ve been so fucking amazing the last few years with Lucy and helping me and I think I took it all for granted that I took you for granted and I’m so sorry I did that and I totally get it if you want to have your own life and I don’t blame you at all and I’m sorry I was such a jerk about it I just I guess I hoped that maybe you would want that life to include me and Lucy but like differently than it has been.” He rushed it all out in one long drawn sentence and when he finished he took a deep breath and risked opening his eyes to look at her. Her expression was unreadable as she looked back at him. “Say something.” He finally whispered. 

“I -” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to think you’re feeling like this because you’ve missed me the last few months. You can’t mistake this for needing me to be around again to help with doctors appointments and playdates and bake sales.” 

He looked shocked. “I’m not, Anne! That’s not what this is at all.” He reached tentatively across the table and when she didn’t pull away he took her hand. “I realize this is a surprise. It was a surprise for me too. It was like a switch going off. But once I started sorting through it and realized it’s probably always been there I just - I know now that I want more. I want all of it. I want you.” He swallowed hard. 

She had tears in her eyes and she squeezed his hand. “This is a lot to take in, Gil.” 

He slumped back, releasing her hand. “I know. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same but I felt like I needed to tell you and please, it doesn’t have to change our friendship. I can’t not have you in my life, in Lucy’s life. I won’t make anything awkward, I promise.” 

She sighed and leaned forward, taking his hand back. “I just said it was a lot to take in, I didn’t say I don’t feel the same way.” 

He looked up at her, eyes hopeful. “Really?” 

She bit her lip. “I know what you mean about it coming out of left field. It hit me out of nowhere when I realized it too.” 

He sat up, leaning toward her. “When?” 

“About a year ago. Right around the time you started at Toronto General.”

His jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you say anything?” 

She shrugged. “I told myself it wasn’t the right time, but if I’m being honest I was probably just scared. And I figured you’d tell me when you were ready to start dating. But then you didn’t tell me, you just jumped right in.” She smiled at him ruefully. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “God. You must have hated me for that.” 

She rolled her eyes. “I could never hate you, Gilbert, and it’s not like you were hurting me on purpose.” 

“But it did? It hurt you?” He asked and she paused for a minute before nodding. He shook his head and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. And God...you heard us that morning.” He looked horrified and she squeezed his hand again. 

“It’s okay.” 

“It’s not. I feel like an asshole.” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Gil.” 

“Still.” They both fell quiet and he sighed. “But now you’re with James.” She paused and then nodded. “Have I missed my chance, Anne?” He asked quietly.

She was quiet for a long moment. “I was trying to move on but...I’m not sure if it was really working. And anyway...if I had a choice, I’d choose you. Every time.” She finally said, so quietly he barely heard her. 

His heart leapt into his throat and he could feel the butterflies that had been in his stomach since she sat down start to dance. “Really?” His grin was so wide and infectious she had to laugh, shaking her head at him. 

“Really.” They grinned at each other for a long time before she looked away. “But I have to talk to him.” 

“Right. Of course.” He paused. “Will you let me know? Once you have? I’d like to ask you out on a proper date.” 

She bit her lip at his eagerness and smiled. “Sure.” She stood up and grabbed her purse. “I’ll call you.” She hesitated briefly before leaning down and brushing her lips over his. The jolt of heat they both felt made their eyes go wide for a minute. She started to pull away and he grabbed her wrist.

“Seriously. The minute you talk to him.” He said and she gave him another smile and left quickly. He sat there for a long time, fingers on his lips, wondering why in the hell it had taken them this long to figure their shit out. 

********************************

“Did you enjoy your small plates?” He asked jokingly as he followed her into the house. 

“They were delicious.” She smiled. “And the perfect amount to save room for cheesecake.” She put the dessert in the fridge. “For later of course.” She turned around and smiled as she watched him lean against the counter, scratching the back of his neck. “Why are you nervous?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Who says I’m nervous?” 

She laughed. “You’re scratching the back of your neck.” 

He stopped immediately, looking sheepish. “Right. Okay, I’m a little nervous.” 

She walked to him and he straightened as she got closer, moving his arms to his sides. She stopped right in front of him, staring up into his eyes before slowly placing her hands on his chest. He brought his own hands up and rested them on her waist. “It’s just me.” She whispered and he smiled, his eyes flickering down to her lips. He leaned down and brushed his own over hers before pulling back slightly and hovering there. 

“It seems like this should be weird but it’s not.” He whispered and she smiled. 

“It’s really not.” She agreed before leaning up on her tip-toes, closing the distance eagerly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and her hands wandered up, one hand on his shoulder and the other around the back of his neck, tangling in his curls. She angled her head to deepen the kiss and felt him groan as their tongues twisted together. 

After what could have been hours for all they knew they finally broke apart, breathless and staring at each other in awe. Gilbert huffed out a laugh. “All these years. We could have been kissing like that for all these years.” 

She laughed too, still breathless. “Better late than never though, right?” She asked and grinned at his vigorous nod before leaning up to capture his lips again. This time he spun them around and lifted her effortlessly onto the counter, never breaking the kiss. His hands settled on her hips as she widened her legs to allow him to step closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gasped when he moved his lips to her jaw then her neck, concentrating on a particular spot that made her moan when his lips moved over it. 

“Gil.” She gasped. 

“Mmm?” He murmured, moving his lips lower to her collar bone. 

“Would you - would you be completely scandalized if I asked you to take me to bed?” She managed to get out. 

He stopped, pulling back to look at her, his pupils blown wide. She bit her lip, taking in the look of sheer lust on his face along with his swollen lips. 

“Why would I be scandalized?” He asked curiously. 

“Well.” She bit her bottom lip again and was gratified when his eyes darted down and he licked his own in response. “I mean, it’s only our first date, you know.” 

He laughed. “Nearly two decades of non-dates plus a first official date.” He corrected and flexed his hands on her hips as his face grew serious. “I would not be scandalized if you asked that as long as you won’t be scandalized if I told you exactly what I want to do to you in that bed.” 

She swallowed and felt a rush of heat to her core that had already been feeling extra warm since he picked her up for their date three hours ago. She angled her head and looked at him. “And what would that be, Dr. Blythe?” 

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, her eyes went wide and she felt herself getting wetter as he talked. She tightened her legs around his hips and when he pulled away from her ear grinning she pulled him in for a desperate kiss. He slipped a hand under the hem of her dress, stroking her thigh as he slowly made his way up to her center. She gasped when his fingers brushed over her already sensitive clit and drifted down, stroking her through the wet fabric of her panties. 

“Christ, Anne.” He moaned into her mouth. “I want you more than anything.” 

She smiled against him. “You have me, Gil. I’m yours.” 

He made a low growl and lifted her off the counter, wrapping her legs around his waist as he made his way back to her bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, going with her, peppering her face with kisses and making her laugh breathlessly before he sat up to pull his polo shirt and undershirt off. He came back down, holding himself up on his elbows as he kissed her again, she ran her hands up and down his bare chest, scraping her nails lightly over his skin and making him shudder slightly. He shifted his weight to one elbow and moved his free hand down to the hem of her dress, grasping it and tugging it up. She helped and soon was laying before him in nothing but her bra and panties. He pulled back and gazed down at her. 

“You’re so fucking sexy.” He muttered and she laughed. 

“You’ve seen me in a bikini before, Gil. This is the same thing.” 

“It’s definitely not. This is very different.” He leaned back down and began kissing across her chest, sliding her bra strap down far enough to free her breast and capture her nipple in his mouth. She arched up, moaning as her hand tightened in his hair, holding him in place as he sucked hard. He moved his mouth to her other breast, giving it the same treatment as he slid his hand behind her back and unclasped her bra. He pulled it down her arms and sat back a little to take in the sight of her naked breasts, her nipples hardened and wet and perfect. He swallowed hard and moved his eyes back up to hers. “Very different.” He growled out and bent down, kissing her hard.

He slid his free hand slowly down her ribcage and across her stomach, relishing the shudder and goosebumps his touch elicited from her. Then he slipped it beneath the waistband of her panties and she gasped, back arching off the bed as he traced a finger through her wet slit. He broke the kiss off as he slid one finger inside her heat, watching her carefully. She bit her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay?” He whispered and she nodded frantically. He smiled and slipped a second finger in, stretching her and making her moan. He continued watching her face as his thumb found her nub and he pressed against it lightly. 

“Fuck!” She cried out and bucked up into his hand, her own coming down to hold it in place. “Right. There.” She panted and ground down against his hand. He did as he was told, pumping and curling his fingers and pressing harder with his thumb. He was mesmerized by the look of sheer pleasure on her face as she tilted her head back and tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. He sped his movements up and she ground down hard on his hand before suddenly releasing her lip and letting out a loud moan as she clenched around his fingers, coming hard. 

He leaned down to kiss her deeply as her body slowly relaxed, she responded lazily and after a minute he pulled back and smiled at her. She returned his smile, looking like the cat that ate the canary and he chuckled. “Good?” He asked and she lifted her hand to his face. 

“More than.” She drew him down for another kiss, and her hand drifted down to the waistband of his pants. She gave them a tug. “These. Off. Now.” She murmured against his mouth and he sat up quickly, she came with him, unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. He slid off the bed to pull them down and kick them away. She licked her lips as she watched. Over the years they’d been in various situations where she’d speculated he would not disappoint and she was glad to see her suspicions were correct. She got up on her knees at the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him hard. He slid his hands inside her panties to grip her ass and pull her closer to him. 

As the kiss went on she slowly moved one hand from his neck, skimming her nails lightly down his chest and torso before wrapping it around his rock hard cock. He grunted against her mouth when she pumped him twice and she smiled and lowered herself down, wetting her lips and wrapping them around his tip. She moved her mouth further down, taking in more and more of him until he hit the back of her throat, she moved back up and licked his slit causing him to suck in a sharp breath and fist his hands in her hair. She lowered back down, hollowed her cheeks and gave him a hard suck.

“Fuck.” He grunted. “Anne. Sweetheart. Stop.” His hands moved from her hair to her shoulders and he pulled her up, cupping her cheek and pressing a kiss to her lips. “I will not last if you keep that up.” She smirked and he chuckled, pressing another kiss to her lips. “I uh - I didn’t bring anything. I didn’t want to assume.” He said, feeling like an embarrassed teenager. 

She smiled. “It’s okay.” She reached into her nightstand and rifled around for a minute before pulling out a foil wrapper. She tore it open with her teeth and rolled it on him, leaning up to kiss him again when she was done. He deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping in her mouth as he slid her panties down her thighs. She laid back on the bed and he pulled them the rest of the way off before situating himself above her. He aligned himself with her center, pausing to look down at her, she smiled up at him and reached down to guide him inside her. They both let out a long, satisfied sigh as he fully sheathed himself. 

“You feel so good.” He muttered as he began to move. 

She wrapped her legs around him tightly, her feet digging into the small of his back. “So do you.” She murmured. She moved her hands above her head and he moved his up to lace his fingers with hers before leaning down to kiss her languidly. They moved slowly together, relishing in the feeling of finally being joined together. After several minutes she began moving with a bit more urgency and he moved his lips to her neck. 

He shifted slightly, changing the angle and picking up speed, making her moan loudly. “Like that?” He murmured against her ear. 

“Yes. Fuck yes. Gil, you feel so good.” She panted. “You’re so fucking hard.” She gasped out. 

He grunted and let go of one of her hands to hook his arm under her knee, moving it closer to her chest and pressing deeper inside her. 

She moaned out a long ‘yes’ and moved her free hand between them to rub circles around her clitt. “Harder.” She gasped out and he didn’t need to be told twice, pounding into her hard as she tensed up and bowed off the bed, seeing stars and crying out his name loudly as her orgasm coursed through her. He buried his head in her neck, hips stuttering then stilling as he pressed himself deep inside her, grunting as he came hard. 

After he caught his breath he moved his lips back to hers, kissing her thoroughly before pulling back to gaze at her.“That was so fucking amazing.” He kissed her chin. “I love you, Anne.” He said quietly and she smiled, squeezing the hand that was still laced with hers above their heads. 

“It was and I love you too.” 

He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose before sliding out of her and off the bed, heading to the bathroom. She followed him and after they cleaned themselves up he leaned her against the bathroom counter and kissed her again as she slid her arms around his neck. 

“Okay if I spend the night?” He asked and she giggled lightly. 

“A sleepover? Like when we were in high school?” 

He chuckled and nuzzled her cheek. “Maybe a little different than when we were in high school.” He grinned at her. “Wanna eat cheesecake naked?” 

She laughed. “That sounds perfect.” 

He nodded and she settled into bed, pulling the covers up to her waist. He walked back in a minute later, carrying the container of cheesecake and two spoons. He stopped in the doorway, taking in the sight of her sitting in bed with her breasts displayed above the covers. 

“Fuck.” He swallowed hard. “I’ve always known you had fantastic boobs. I mean I’m not blind. But it was like a back of my mind kind of thing you know? But my God...they are definitely at the front of my mind now.” 

She laughed and crooked her finger at him, beckoning him to the bed. He grinned and handed her the container before slipping under the covers next to her. They shared the cheesecake, talking and laughing quietly. 

Later when they were snuggled up under the comforter together, he sighed contentedly as he spooned her closely. “So what now?” She whispered. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I don’t know. Are we dating? Like should I send you a note asking you to be my boyfriend?” 

He chuckled and sat up a little so he could see her face. “Anne. It may have taken me nearly 18 years to realize it but you have to know that this is it for me. You’re it for me. I love you. I will always love you. So yeah, I guess you could say we’re dating but just so you know - I will be asking you to marry me sooner than later. We’ve wasted enough time.” 

Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “Okay.” She whispered and he chuckled. 

“Only okay?”

She giggled and bit her lip. “I love you and - and you’re it for me too.” 

“Good.” He settled back down behind her. “You want to go to Lucy’s ballet practice with us in the morning? Then we can spend the day together? The three of us?” 

She sighed happily. “That sounds absolutely perfect.” 

*****************************

“Lucy! Breakfast is ready!” Anne called up the stairs. 

“Okay!” The tiny voice yelled back making Anne smile.

She walked back into the kitchen, moving the plate of bacon to the table and watching Gilbert pour Lucy a cup of milk. “I’m nervous.” She admitted and he smiled at her. 

“Don’t be. She’s going to be thrilled.” He kissed her cheek, she turned her face to capture his lips, bringing her hands up to his shoulders. 

A minute later the sound of tiny feet pounding down the stairs broke them apart and they turned and watched Lucy burst into the room in a flurry of pink. “Do you think we’ll see elephants there, Daddy?” His daughter asked excitedly as she climbed up into her chair. 

Gilbert set her milk down and tugged one of her ringlets playfully. “Probably. They’re pretty big. Hard to miss you know.” She giggled as she took a bite of bacon. 

After they ate breakfast Gilbert sat down next to his daughter. “Before we go, Lucy Bear, Anne and I have something we want to talk to you about.” 

Her eyes grew somber as she looked up at him, Gilbert beside her and Anne across from her. “Is Anne going away again?” She asked, her lower lip trembling. 

Anne’s heart twisted. “Oh sweetie, no.” She got up and walked around the table, lifting Lucy up and sitting down with her in her lap, cuddling her close and meeting Gilbert’s eyes over her head. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

“Okay.” Lucy didn’t sound convinced. 

“Actually, sweetie.” Gilbert put his hand to his daughter’s cheek and smiled up at Anne. “I asked Anne to marry me last night and she said yes.” 

Lucy’s eyes widened and she twisted to look up at Anne. “So you’re going to be my mommy?” 

Anne’s eyes filled with tears and she squeezed Lucy tightly. “That’s what we wanted to talk to you about, Luce.” Gilbert said. 

“Do you want me to be your mommy?” Anne and Gilbert laughed as Lucy nodded her head fiercely. 

“Okay.” Anne wiped her tears away and kissed Lucy’s hair. “Do you remember me telling you that Matthew and Marilla adopted me when I was a little girl?” Lucy nodded sagely. “I didn’t have a mommy or a daddy but they became my parents when they adopted me. Once they did that I was theirs and they were mine and no one could take that away from us. Do you understand?” Lucy nodded again and Anne met Gilbert’s eyes over the little girl’s head and he smiled encouragingly. “So I’d like to become your mommy, I’d like to adopt you to be my little girl. In a way that no one can take away from us. Would you like that?” 

Lucy nodded and started crying, turning in Anne’s lap to wrap her tiny arms around the red-head’s neck. “Oh sweetie.” Anne held her close, her own tears streaming down her face. “Are you okay?” 

Lucy nodded again but was too overwhelmed to answer. Gilbert leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his girls, alternating pressing kisses to his daughter’s curls and Anne’s cheek. Finally the little girl calmed down a bit and she pulled back, wiping at her face. “Can I call you mommy?” She asked, her nervousness evident. 

Anne let out a watery laugh and Gilbert chuckled. “I would love that, Lucy Bear.” Anne pressed her lips to Lucy’s forehead. “Do you have any other questions?” 

Lucy thought for a minute. “Does that mean you’re going to live here with us and I’ll get to see you every day?” 

Anne nodded. “Every day.” 

“Good.” Lucy glanced at her father before turning back to Anne, leaning forward to whisper. “Can we get a puppy?” Gilbert snorted and Anne bit back a smile. 

“We’ll talk about it.” She whispered back and that seemed to satisfy the little girl enough. She sat back up and looked at her father. “Are we still going to the zoo?” 

He smiled at her. “We’re still going to the zoo.” He confirmed. “Go get your shoes on.” She hopped off Anne’s lap and scampered off. The two adults gazed at each other for a long time, faces split in identical smiles. “I told you she’d be thrilled.” He said, leaning forward to kiss her, he pulled away but kept his forehead pressed to hers.. 

“I know - I just…” Anne took a deep breath. “Thank you, Gil.” 

He shook his head. “You’re her mom, Anne. You’ve always been her mom. We’re just making it official.” She nodded and swallowed hard, trying not to start crying again. 

“I’m ready!” Came a loud shout from the doorway. “Come on, Mommy!” She ran forward and grabbed Anne’s hand, pulling her to the front hallway.


	5. Epilogue

Anne lowered herself slowly and carefully to the couch, letting out a deep breath when she made it down. Ronan hopped next to her and laid his chin on her belly, she closed her eyes and rubbed her hand through his fur. She was just starting to drift off when she heard the garage open and the mutt jumped off the couch and took off to the kitchen. A minute later she heard Gilbert and Lucy enter the kitchen, the two of them greeting Ronan.

“Can we get pizza tonight, Daddy?” Anne heard Lucy ask. 

“It sounds good to me but let’s make sure that’s what Mom wants.” Was his reply and Anne smiled. “Anne?” He called out. 

“In here!” She yelled back and Lucy came running in, Ronan hot on her heels. 

“Hi Mom!” 

“Hi sweetie.” She smiled as she jumped on the couch to give her a hug. “How was your day?

“Good! Is the baby kicking?” 

“Not right now, Lucy Bear, I think he’s sleeping.” 

Lucy nodded and grabbed the remote to turn the tv on. “Can we get pizza for dinner?” 

“Sure.” Anne smiled and pushed a curl off her daughter’s forehead. 

A couple of minutes later Gilbert walked in. “You okay?” 

“Yeah. Just don’t ask me to move anytime soon.” She joked and he chuckled as he sat down beside her, leaning over to kiss her cheek first then her stomach.

“I won’t have to. We both know you’ll be going to the bathroom in like five minutes.” 

She huffed out a laugh. “How dare you be so accurate.” 

He laughed and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss to her hair. “He really doesn’t want to come out of there.” 

She sighed. “I know. I really wanted everything to be natural but I don’t know how much longer I can handle this, Gil.” 

“I know, sweetheart.” He murmured. 

Later that night he helped her into bed and was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when he heard her cry out. He dropped his toothbrush and went running back into the bedroom. “What’s wrong?” 

“My water broke.” She looked up at him in panic and he jumped into action pulling her nightgown up and checking her out. 

“Okay. You’re okay. We have plenty of time.” He grabbed his phone and called Bash and Mary so they could come pick up Lucy and Ronan then he helped her change into dry clothes. By the time they got to the hospital Anne’s contractions were coming closer and closer together and after what she would swear was hours and hours of pushing later Matthew John Blythe joined the world. 

Gilbert lay on the bed next to Anne, alternating between kissing her and staring at his son. “Thank you, Anne.” He murmured and she smiled. 

“I love you, Gil.” 

“I love you.” He took Matthew from her and kissed the baby’s tiny nose. “And I love you, Matty. Even though you were a week late and making your mother uncomfortable.” 

Anne laughed. “Very uncomfortable.” She corrected and gave a happy sigh. “But better late than never.” 

He grinned and leaned over to press his lips to hers. “Better late than never.” He agreed.


End file.
